Public hearing for the Utica City School District budget on May 5, 2026.

Utica City School District Notice of Annual Election and Public Vote on the

2026-2027 School District Budget – May 19, 2026

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that voting on the 2026-2027 Utica City School District Budget appropriation of the necessary funds to meet the estimated expenditures of said District for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026, and authorizing the Board of Education of said District to raise the funds so estimated, exclusive of public monies, by a tax on the taxable property in said District by adoption of a budget and to levy a tax, shall be conducted on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, between the hours of 12:00 noon and 9:00 p.m. at the following locations:



Election District

Polling Location

Address

1

Parkway Recreation Center

220 Memorial Parkway

2

Utica Fire Academy

1350 Bleecker St.

3

Gillmore Village

929 Hillcrest Ave.

4

West Side Senior Center

717 Court St.

5

Mid-York Library

1600 Lincoln Ave.

6

Perretta Twin Towers

509 Second St.

7

The Jewish Community Center

2310 Oneida St.

8

Conkling Elementary School

1115 Mohawk St.

9

Donovan Middle School

1701 Noyes St.

10

MLK, Jr. Elementary School

211 Square St.

11

General Herkimer Elementary School

420 Keyes Rd.

12

Thomas Jefferson Elementary School

190 Booth St.

13

John F. Kennedy Middle School

500 Deerfield Dr. E.

14

Thomas R. Proctor High School

1203 Hilton Ave.



NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Budget Hearing for the residents of the Utica City School District will be held in the Board Room of the Utica City School District Administration building, 929 York Street, Utica, NY on May 5, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the election of (1) member of the Board of Education shall be conducted on May 19, 2026, between the hours of 12:00 noon and 9:00 p.m.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that voting on the following propositions shall be conducted on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 between the hours of 12:00 noon and 9:00 p.m.



Proposition No. 1 – Budget Proposition

To adopt the annual budget of the Utica City School District for the 2026-2027 fiscal year in the amount of $­­­­_______ and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the Utica City School District.

Proposition No. 2 – Capital Reserve Fund 

Shall the Board of Education of the Utica City School District be authorized to establish a capital reserve fund pursuant to Section 3651 of the Education Law, to be designated as the “2026 Facilities Improvement Capital Reserve Fund”, to pay costs of the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, improvement, rehabilitation, repair, furnishing or equipping of School District buildings and facilities and related improvements, and the acquisition of original furnishings, equipment, machinery and apparatus required for the purposes for which such buildings and facilities are to be used, in the ultimate amount of up to thirty million dollars ($30,000,000.00), plus accrued interest and other investment earnings, with a probable term of fifteen (15) years, and to appropriate from the available fund balance and/or other legally available funds of the School District to such Reserve Fund?

Proposition No. 3 – Capital Reserve Fund Expenditure 

Shall the Board of Education (“Board of Education”) of the City School District of the City of Utica (the "School District") be authorized to expend ten million dollars ($10,000,000) from the School District’s 2024 Facilities Improvement Capital Reserve Fund to pay costs of the capital project approved by School District voters at the 2025 annual School District meeting, consisting of the renovation, improvement, rehabilitation, repair, furnishing and equipping of Albany Elementary School, Columbus Elementary School, Conkling Elementary School, General Herkimer Elementary School, Hughes Elementary School, Jefferson Elementary School, Jones Elementary School, Kernan Elementary School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, Watson Williams Elementary School, Donovan Middle School, John F. Kennedy Middle School, Proctor High School, the School District Maintenance shop and the Central Kitchen, including improvement or embellishment of athletic fields and athletic facilities, playground improvements, grading or improvement of the sites, and the acquisition of original furnishings, equipment, machinery and apparatus required for the purposes of which such buildings and improvements are to be used?

Proposition No. 4 – Funding the Utica Public Library

Shall the annual appropriation for the Utica Public Library within the Utica City School District be increased from the sum of nine hundred fifteen thousand five hundred and eighty-one dollars ($915,581) annually to the sum of nine hundred forty-two thousand nine hundred and fifty-one dollars ($942,951), an increase of twenty seven thousand three hundred seventy dollars ($27,370) to be appropriated annually for the Utica Public Library, such sum to be raised by levy of a tax upon the taxable property of the District in accordance with Section 259 of the Education Law?

NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that the school election Districts, as determined by the Board of Education by Resolution adopted February 10, 2026, are particularly and accurately described on a map entitled “Utica City School District Map”, approved by Joseph Hobika Jr., President of the Board of Education, a copy of which is on file in the Office of the Clerk of the Board of Education of the Utica City School District, Administration Building, 929 York Street, Utica, New York, 13502.

Qualifications of voters at such elections are set forth in Section 2603 of the N.Y.S. Education Law. If a person’s name cannot be found on the list of registered voters or in the Registration poll ledger, then District elections officials shall not permit that person to vote, unless: (1) the person presents a court order requiring that he or she be permitted to vote in the manner otherwise prescribed for voters whose names are on the list of registered voters or in the Registration poll ledger; or (2) the person submits an affidavit attesting to his or her qualifications to vote in compliance with Education Law Section 2019-a(1)(b). NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that the petitions nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education must be filed with the Clerk of the District, 929 York St, Utica, NY, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. not later than April 29, 2026, 5:00 p.m.

NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that Military Voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the Utica City School District by requesting a Military Voter Registration Application form from the Clerk of the Board, Kathy Hughes, at 315-792-2078 or khughes@uticaschools.org. Military Voter Registration Application forms and Military Ballot Applications must be received in the office of the Clerk of the Board no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 4, 2026. In a request for a Military Ballot Application form, the Military Voter may designate their preference for receiving the form by US mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail (email).

NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that qualified voters may apply for Absentee Ballots at the District Clerk’s office. Absentee ballot applications must be received by the District Clerk at least seven days before the vote if the ballot is to be mailed to the absentee voter or the day before the vote if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the absentee voter. All Absentee Ballots must be returned to the Clerk’s office no later than 5 p.m. on May 19, 2026, the day of the Election. A list of persons to whom absentee ballots have been issued will be available for inspection in the District Clerk’s office, during regular business hours, during each of five business days prior to May 19, 2026 Election Day, except Sundays.

NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that early mail ballots for the vote may be applied for at the office of the District Clerk. Early mail ballot applications must be received by the District Clerk at least seven days before the vote if the ballot is to be mailed to the early mail voter or the day before the vote if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the early mail voter. All Early Mail Ballots must be returned to the Clerk’s office no later than 5 p.m. on May 19, 2026, the day of the Election. A list of all persons to whom early mail ballots shall have been issued will be available in the office of the District Clerk on each of the five days prior to the day of the vote except Sundays, and such list will also be posted at the polling place or places for the vote.

NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that a copy of the budget for the ensuing school year may be obtained by any taxpayer at any district schoolhouse during the fourteen (14) days immediately preceding the day before and during the Annual Election and Public Budget Vote date during regular business hours.

NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that the Board of Registration of the Utica City Schoo